This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 180
published Winter 2008
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Knitting on the Glockner
Ambition Fulfilled
by Phil Dover
I first saw the magnificent Großglockner in 1958, whilst on a school party trip, from the alpine road, the Hochalpenstraße. Fifteen years later I went on an AAC holiday which included the Großvenediger and the Großglockner in the itinerary but we failed to climb the former because of bad weather and the latter due to an uncooperative guide. So July 2008 found us, all Lake District voluntary rangers, camping at Matrei.
The weather was changeable and according to the forecast there was to be one good day in the first week. Thus the day before found us catching the bus to Matreier Tauernhaus for the long ascent to the Neue Prager Hütte, six hours on the signpost, ready to climb the Großvenediger. We had refuelling stops at Venedigerhaus and the Alte Prager Hütte before arriving at our destination, where all the tops were in cloud. The next morning was beautiful and clear and the five of us were soon roping up on the glacier. The climb to the summit was over fairly gentle slopes with no crevasse problems and just the fine snow arête before the summit needing care, especially on the descent with many parties now approaching the summit. We descended to the Defreggerhaus where we stopped for liquid refreshment and continued down to the Johannishütte and the valley.
The second week also promised one good day on the TI forecast, so again, on the day before it, we drove round to the Lucknerhaus above Kals for the much shorter walk to the Stüdlhütte. Ten years before, given good conditions, the Stüdlgrat would have been our objective but now, especially after all the new snow that had fallen that week, the normalweg was chosen. The clouds cleared in the evening, giving us good views of our route and the summit. So after the magnificent food provided we set off in the morning following the track to the Erzherzog-Johann Hütte, across the easy glacier and then up the cables on the rock ridge to the hut. The fresh snow on the steep ice of the Glocknerleitl to the rock ridge of the Kleinglockner made the going easy but as we reached the ridge, parties that had spent the night at the Erzherzog-Johann Hütte were starting to descend and the ‘knitting’ started, knit one – purl one, my rope over your rope - your rope over my rope. Some of the steel belay stakes were monopolised by guides lowering their parties down, but it was all very good humoured. The snow covered rocky ridge is quite narrow and care was needed with so many people on it but we were very fortunate to have the summit to ourselves. The views all round were clear, from ‘last year’s’ Ortler group to the Dolomites and the Marmolada from three years previously, and the Dachstein - who knows next year? The way back was quieter and we met only a few ropes that presumably had come up, like us, from the lower huts; the next day, it poured down!
Matrei is a good centre for these ranges but rather low at only 900m and there is little mechanised uplift necessitating a hut night for most of the surrounding mountains. However there are good bus services up the valleys so, apart from our Großglockner climb, the cars were not used during the fortnight’s holiday.
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Last updated: 05 December 2008